Folie et Rédemption
by 4JACE
Summary: Sue and Jack go undercover to stop a serial killer, but will they lose themselves?
1. Prologue

So I haven't published anything in a long time, but the site that used to host these stories went down awhile back, and I decided that I wanted to archive them somewhere. All of these stories are complete, but I will still post them in chapter fashion. I used to write as "rerio" on that site. If you've read these stories before, please let me know! It's been a long time since I've talked to anyone on the site. If you haven't read my stories before, welcome.

~~~~ST~~~~

~~~~ST~~~~

Reston, VA

June 25

The sky was clear the night that Linda Martin died; in fact, the weather had been nice for several days. Linda had been thrilled when Jeremy suggested an evening picnic in the park. Between his job and her schoolwork, they didn't get much time to be together. The park near the college had been beautiful under the moonlit sky, and Jeremy had surprised her by bringing candles to light their dinner. Bach echoed softly from the small cd player that Linda had borrowed from her roommate. Jeremy, being from the south, had declared that fried chicken was the only real picnic food, and so they had gotten their fingers messy and raised their cholesterol levels and had a wonderful time.

They had only been dating for eight months, but both knew it was the real thing. Their families liked each other, and they had the same interests and goals. Most importantly, they shared a deep and abiding faith in God. Linda planned to graduate in a year, and they had spoken of a summer wedding. Things just couldn't have been much more perfect that calm starry night. After they finished dinner, Jeremy walked her back to campus. They kissed, a kiss that made the stars in the sky come dizzyingly close to earth.

"I should go in," Linda whispered.

Jeremy ran a finger down her cheek. "I'll see you the rest of the way."

"No, that's okay. You have to be at work early in the morning." _And if you don't leave now, I won't be able to let you go_ , Linda thought.

Jeremy pressed one more quick kiss to her hair. "I'll call you tomorrow," he promised as he left.

Linda walked the rest of the way to her dorm, dreaming about wedding dresses and cake toppers.

"Did you have a good time?"

Linda whirled around, breathless. "Oh, you startled me! Yes, I had a wonderful time tonight. What are you doing here?"

"I was waiting for you." The reply was low and furious.

"What–" Linda stopped as she say the knife flash silver in the moonlight. Too late, she tried to run. The blade fell once, twice, too many times to count. Linda didn't die quickly. She had time to think about her parents, her brothers, Jeremy...

"Jeremy," she whispered. The last image she saw was the perfect sky above her.


	2. Chapter 1

Thanks to those of you who have been reading!

~~~~ST~~~~

~~~~ST~~~~

Chapter 1

Hoover Building

Washington, D.C.

August 25

It was heading towards five o'clock and the Bullpen had quieted down for the evening. "Hey Sue," Lucy touched Sue's arm gently to get her attention. "I'm heading home. Are you finished yet?"

Sue Thomas smiled up at her friend. "Almost. I want to finish reviewing this transcript first before I quit for the day."

Lucy nodded. "Okay, just don't forget your dinner with David tonight."

"I won't forget. David said he needed to talk to me about something." Sue's eyes were slightly cautious.

Lucy patted her arm sympathetically. "I'm sure everything will be fine. He's probably just missing you because he's been out of town so much lately. Still, I'll wait up tonight if you want."

"I'd like that, thanks." Watching Lucy leave, Sue noticed Jack Hudson sitting at his desk. He was trying very hard to appear as if he hadn't been eavesdropping on her conversation. She flushed and returned to her work. After twenty minutes, she straightened her desk and stood to leave. Looking around her, she realized that everyone else had gone home except for Jack. "Are you working late tonight?"

Jack looked up from the paperwork on his desk and sighed. "Yeah, I have to finish the report on the Nelson case."

Sue looked at him. His eyes were red and his face was lined with fatigue. The team had spent the last month tracking down an extortionist, only to discover that the culprit worked in the office of a high-ranking senator. The political pressure involved in wrapping up the case cleanly was enormous. "You should have asked for help!" Sue said. "Here, I'll work on it with you so we can both leave."

Jack shook his head. "As much as I would appreciate it, I don't want to interfere with your dinner with David." If he couldn't bring himself to call it a date, they both pretended not to notice.

Sue pulled up a chair. "I'm not meeting him until seven. It looks like you're almost done; if I help, we should be out of here in plenty of time." If her grin was forced, they ignored that as well.

A little under an hour later, Jack stacked the paperwork together and placed it in a folder. "Thanks, Sue. I would have been here a lot longer if you hadn't helped. I would offer to take you to dinner to show my appreciation, but..." his voice trailed off.

"David," Sue said.

Jack nodded. "David." The silence between them stretched out a few seconds. Finally, Jack raised his hand. THANK YOU, he signed.

YOU'RE WELCOME. Again the tension filled the room, but this time it was broken by the vibration from Sue's Blackberry. She excused herself to answer it. Her face became pale as she read the frantic message on the screen. "Mom? What's wrong?" She read the reply and asked, "How bad?" The answer made her face blanch even more. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Disconnecting, she turned to Jack. "My Dad...he's been in an accident. A car accident. I...I don't know what to do."

"I'm so sorry." Jack's eyes reflected his concern. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I don't know. He's in surgery. The doctors said it's serious. Jack...I need to get to Ohio."

"Okay," Jack patted her arm gently. "Okay. I'll find you a flight." Turning to his computer, he worked for a few minutes. "There's a Delta leaving from Reagan in two hours."

"I won't have time to pack, but that doesn't matter." Sue's hand was restlessly stroking Levi's fur.

"We'll call Luce and ask her to bring you a bag," Jack replied. "Come on, I'll drive you to the airport."

~~~~ST~~~~

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Washington, D.C.

August 25

Later that evening

Jack had insisted that he take care of everything, so Sue sat and watched the crowd hurry by while she waited for him to return. She wondered where all the people were going, and if any of them had received bad news like she had. She saw Jack heading toward her and tried to compose herself. "You're all checked in," he said. "They're giving you a bulkhead seat so that you'll have extra room for Levi. I'm glad they were accommodating."

"They usually are, although it gets trickier if you have to travel someplace with quarantine laws," Sue replied. "Lucy should be here soon."

Jack started to speak, hesitated, and then tried again. "Do you want me to call David?"

Sue smiled shakily, knowing what it had cost him to offer. "I called him while you were in line."

"Okay." Jack took a deep breath. "Sue, I–" He shook his head. "Forget it. Here comes Lucy."

Sue turned to see her friend coming up at full speed, pulling a small suitcase. For the first time, the reality of the situation hit her and she started to cry. She was terrified that her father was going to die, and that she wouldn't get there in time to say goodbye.

"Sue," Lucy hugged her. Having lost her own father, she could understand so much of what her friend was feeling. She leaned back so that Sue could see her face. "It's going to be okay. Do you want me to go with you?"

Sue shook her head. "No, that's alright. Thanks for bringing my bag."

Jack touched her arm. "You should go. They like people to be at the gate early." He glanced down at Levi. "Take care of her, buddy." Looking up into Sue's worried face, he squeezed her hand. "Call if you need anything."

Sue nodded. "I will. Thanks, both of you. Come on, Levi."

Her friends watched until she had passed through security and disappeared around the corner. Lucy glanced at Jack. "She'll be okay."

Jack nodded, but his eyes were troubled. "Luce, do you want to get some dinner?"

Lucy agreed, because she was Jack's friend...and Sue's.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Hoover Building

Washington, D.C.

August 27

"Good morning, everyone," Lucy said as she walked into the Bullpen.

"Hey Luce. Has there been any word about Sue's Dad?" Bobby asked.

Lucy's face grew solemn. "Yes, I talked to Sue last night. It could have been worse, I guess. Both he and the other driver will make full recoveries. Mr. Thomas had a punctured lung and some internal bleeding, and the doctors had to remove his spleen. He also broke both of his legs and fractured several bones in his left hand. He's stable now, but he has a lot of rehabilitation ahead of him."

"How did it happen?" D asked.

"The other driver was an RN who had just finished working a double shift at the hospital. She was so tired that she didn't even notice the red light until she was halfway through the intersection. If the timing had been just the slightest bit different, she would have hit his car door head on. As it was, most of the damage was to the front of the car."

"Perhaps we should send flowers to the hospital?" Myles suggested. When everyone looked at him in amazement, he raised an eyebrow. "It is an appropriate method of demonstrating concern for a coworker, is it not?" he asked haughtily.

Tara's brilliant smile hit him full force and unexpectedly caused his heartbeat to speed up just a notch. "It's not only appropriate; it's very sweet."

They looked at each other for a moment, and the group was astonished to notice that Myles' cheeks were just the slightest bit flushed. He cleared his throat. "Well, in any case it will close this topic of discussion so we can move on to the business of the day. Here's my contribution." Tara's eyes widened as Myles placed a rather large amount of money on her desk.

"Good idea, Mate," Bobby said. "Count me in."

As the others reached for their wallets, Tara continued to look at Myles as if really seeing something for the first time. Eventually she took a deep breath and refocused on her computer. "Lucy, if you can tell me the name of the hospital, I'll make the arrangements."

Myles left the room in a hurry, mumbling something about an errand.

"What was that all about?" Bobby whispered to Jack.

Jack shuddered. "Crash, buddy...I don't think I want to know."

~~~~ST~~~~

~~~~ST~~~~

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

Washington, D.C.

August 31

David's face was the first thing Sue saw as she exited through security at the airport. She was exhausted, and seeing his familiar face was like being wrapped in a comfortable quilt. "David!"

"Sue." He pulled her into a tight hug before moving away so that she could see his face. "How's your dad?"

"He's going to be okay. He's at Haven Wellness Center for now. He'll get some physical therapy and have a chance to regain his strength before he goes home. Thanks for picking me up. Lucy was going to cancel her date, but I threatened to kick her out of the apartment."

David laughed. "Like you would ever really do that!"

"No, but what she doesn't know can only help me." Sue grinned evilly.

David gave her another quick hug. "Well, I don't mind. I was glad for the chance to see you. Do you want to go out to eat?"

Sue shook her head, feeling the fatigue pull at her bones. "I'd love to visit with you, but I'm really tired. How about we pick up something on the way to my place?"

~~~~ST~~~~

Dotson/Thomas Apartment

Washington, D.C.

Later that evening

Over dinner back at the apartment David asked, "So Lucy had a date tonight?"

"Yes, a first date." Sue smiled. "She met him at the dry cleaners."

"Wow. Well, at least he's well-dressed," David joked.

Sue nodded, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "You have no idea. He's a marine, stationed at the Pentagon."

"That's impressive. I hope Lucy is having a good time," David said.

"Me, too."

They finished dinner as they caught up on news from both sides. As they were cleaning up, Sue asked, "David, before I left for Ohio...you wanted to talk to me. What was it about?"

David hesitated, and then shook his head. "Don't worry about that now; you have a lot going on in your life. It wasn't that important."

Sue looked at the tension in his body and knew he wasn't telling the truth. What he needed to say was very important to him. She felt a twinge of anxiety. "David, please don't do that. I'll just worry about it anyway. What's wrong?"

He stood very still for a moment, as if trying to decide something. Finally he gave a slight nod and said, "Okay, come and sit on the couch with me." After they were seated, he took her hand and turned to face her. "Sue, you know I've been really busy with work lately. It seems like I'm always out of town for a conference or out somewhere consulting with a client. The winter season is coming up, and it will be busier than you think for landscaping. People like having something really special designed for the holidays." He paused.

Sue prompted him, suspecting that he hadn't quite gotten to the point. "I know we're both busy at work, but we can still make time to see each other."

David looked down at their joined hands and then glanced back up so that Sue could see his face. "I'm not sure that will work." Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Sue, I want to ask you something, and I need you to give me an honest answer."

Sue nodded, her heart already clenching. Now she was almost positive what was coming next. "What is it?"

David's eyes were serious and very troubled. "If I told you that I care very deeply for you and am ready to make an exclusive commitment to you, could you answer the same way?" Seeing her stricken expression, he reminded her, "The truth."

Sue shook her head as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "No, David. I can't tell you that."

David sighed. "That's what I was afraid of, and I won't pretend it doesn't hurt. I'm at the point where I really need to believe that you could commit your whole heart to me. I think I have some idea of why you can't do that, but it doesn't change the situation. I think," here he paused as his own eyes filled with tears. "I think that we each have to find our forever, and I don't think that we're going to find it in each other."

Sue hated seeing the look on his face; it tore at her heart. "I'm so sorry, David. I really care about you."

"I know; it's okay," he said, pulling her into a fierce hug. After a long moment, he leaned back. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you, too," Sue said. "You'll be in my prayers."

"And you'll be in mine," David responded. He stood, and Sue walked him to the door. He gazed down at the face that he knew would forever be in his dreams.

"You are so beautiful in every way." He kissed her one last time. "Goodbye, Sue. 'Bye Levi; Nikita will miss you." Then he was gone.

Sue leaned against the door, crying. "He's such a good man, and I hurt him. What am I supposed to do now?"


	4. Chapter 3

Thanks to everyone who is reading! I've responded to some of the reviewers and am still trying to figure out how to respond to others. Be patient with me; I'm moving this week and don't have a lot of free time.

Chapter 3

Dotson/Thomas Apartment

Washington, D.C.

Later that evening

Sue was watching Steel Magnolias and wallowing in a pint of Edy's Double Fudge Brownie when Lucy came home from her date. "Hey, you're back. Did you have a good time?" she asked.

Lucy smiled with great satisfaction. "It was wonderful! Dinner, dancing...and Double Fudge Brownie? What's wrong?" She noticed Sue's red eyes. "Is it your dad?"

Sue shook her head. "No, he's going to be okay. David met me at the airport. He brought me home, we had dinner, we broke up..."

"What?" Lucy was in shock. "He did this today? Of all the nerve!"

"It wasn't like that." Slowly, Sue explained. When she finished, she started crying yet again.

It broke Lucy's heart to see the sadness in her friend's face. "Well, I still think he should have waited," she huffed.

"No, that wouldn't have been fair to either of us. Besides, I almost expected it. It had to come up eventually. David was right when he said I couldn't give him my whole heart." The two women sat for a moment, watching the television as M'Lynn fell apart at Shelby's funeral.

Finally Lucy turned off the movie. "I think you've seen enough of that for tonight. So, what are you going to do about it?"

"About what?" Sue asked.

"About the reason your heart is already committed."

"Lucy, I don't want to talk about this now." Sue stood and gathered her dishes to take into the kitchen.

"When are you ever going to want to talk about this? Sue!" Lucy turned her friend back around. "Please don't turn away. You know I can't talk to you when you do that. Look, I'm your friend, and I love you. I'm also very worried! You are going to have to deal with this at some point. Jack really cares about you, and I know you care about him. He's a good man."

"So is David," Sue said, tension making her voice slightly edgy.

Lucy nodded. "So is David. And now David is hurt, and you're hurt, and I think Jack is hurting, too."

That statement added another layer of pain to Sue's heart. "I know. There's just so much to consider. I really value my independence," she said as the two women headed into the kitchen. "I think...I'm afraid that if I ever commit myself to a relationship with Jack, I'll lose control. My feelings for him are...intense. Besides, I really love my job. You know the office policy."

"Even deep relationships allow for independence if they're healthy," Lucy argued. "Jack is not now and will never be the kind of man who would try to overpower you. And as far as work goes, maybe you could ask Garrett to make an exception."

Sue shook her head firmly. "I've spent my whole life wanting to be treated like everyone else. It would feel wrong to ask for special consideration." She turned on the faucet and began loading the dishwasher. She continued to watch Lucy so as not to shut her out again.

Lucy's eyes were dark with sympathy. "I know it's a difficult decision, but you need to think about it. You and Jack could have the kind of relationship most people will never be lucky enough to experience. It would be a shame to throw that away without even trying." She hesitated, afraid of hurting her friend even more, but finally continued. "It would be even worse if you let something wonderful slip by you because you were too afraid to take a chance."

Sue shot her a sarcastic glance. "You're about as comforting as a Brillo pad; you know that?" Then she sighed. "Unfortunately, you're also right. A lot of people are hurting today, and it's due in very large part to the fact that I was too scared to face some things. What if I approach Jack, and he doesn't respond?"

"I think..." Lucy stopped and then continued when Sue gave her an encouraging nod, "I think that Jack has been waiting for some indication from you. He doesn't know where you are with David, and he won't push."

Sue finished loading the dishes and started the washer. "Well, whatever I do, I'm going to need some time. Please don't tell anyone about this right now, okay?"

Lucy nodded. "I promise." As they moved back into the living room, she changed the subject. "Tell me about your dad."

"He's at the wellness center, like we talked about. He should be able to go home soon." As Sue sat down on the couch, Levi cuddled up and put his head on her knee. She petted him as she continued speaking. "My mom wants me to move back and help take care of him."

Lucy was startled. "Is he going to need permanent care?"

"No, but it might be overwhelming for him at first." Sue's face was tormented. "I want to help my parents, but I really don't want to give up everything I have here. Does that make me an awful person?"

"No!" Lucy said firmly. "If it does, then I'm awful too, because I don't want you to go. Wow...what are you going to do?"

"I don't know, Luce. I just don't know."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Washington, D.C.

September 1

It was beautiful outside when Sue left for work the next morning. The air was crisp and just the slightest bit cold. Sue wondered how everything could look so pretty when she felt as if her heart had been shattered into thousands of bits of glass. She hoped to slip into the office quietly, not wanting to deal with anyone just yet. Unfortunately, as soon as she walked through the door, Tara stood to greet her.

"Look who's back! How's your dad?"

The group gathered around for details. Sue explained the situation to them all, adding her thanks for the flowers.

"You're welcome, but we can't really take the credit. It was Myles' idea, right Mate?" Bobby flashed a sardonic grin at the distinguished agent.

Sue was momentarily stunned, but when she saw the slight flush on Myles' cheeks, she took pity on him. "Thank you, Myles."

He tipped his head towards her in a dignified manner. "You're welcome. I'm pleased that your father's recovery appears to be imminent."

Everyone stared at him. Finally Lucy broke the silence. "Okay, one moment of kindness from you was just an unusual blessing from God. Now it's getting downright strange."

Laughter spread around the room as people began returning to their desks. Jack walked up to Sue, an expression of deep concern in his eyes. "Welcome back; I'm glad everything is okay," he said softly.

"Thanks," Sue answered. _Please don't look at me like that right now. I don't think I can handle it._

"Would you like to go to lunch today?" Jack asked hesitantly. "We could talk."

"I'm afraid that's going to have to wait." Garrett stood in the doorway, his face furious. "Hudson, Thomas, my office."

~~~~ST~~~~

Sue didn't think she'd ever seen Ted look so flustered. He had to take a couple of deep breaths before he spoke. "I'm not even sure how to approach this, but...Thomas, Violent Crime has asked for your help."

She couldn't have been more surprised if he had told her that he just saw Myles Leland walking down Pennsylvania Avenue in a mini-skirt and tube top. "I'm sorry; I couldn't have seen that correctly. I thought you said that Violent Crime asked for my help."

Garrett nodded tiredly. "That's what I said. I know things have been busy in the office lately, but have you seen the news reports about the so-called 'Sunday School' murders?"

Sue nodded. "I noticed but didn't have time to pay much attention. Several female students were found stabbed to death on the campus of Grace Covenant University."

"Five women in all," Garrett replied. "Most of the students at Grace are women. It's a small Bible college outside Reston and was originally an exclusive women's university. They just opened enrollment to men a few years ago and began hiring male faculty and staff last year."

"Have the police come up with a profile on the case?" Jack asked.

"They called in the Bureau for help," Garrett answered. "Actually, the last victim didn't attend Grace. Of the other four, only three were killed on campus. The women ranged in age from 21 to 30, they were all similar in appearance, and they all showed some evidence of a deep religious faith."

"I still don't understand why VC requested me," Sue said. "Do they want me to lip-read something?"

Garrett took a steadying breath and shook his head. He began placing photos on his desk. "Here are the pictures of the victims. Notice in particular victim number one, Linda Martin."

Sue looked in shock at the images. Jack shot to his feet, startling her with the anger blazing from his usually gentle eyes. "No way! We're not even going to discuss this."

"I don't like it either," Garrett replied. "I tried everything I could think of to talk them out of it."

"No. _No_ ," Jack said. "If you think for one minute that I'm going to let them offer her up like so much bait–"

"Agent Hudson," Garrett reprimanded gently but firmly.

"Excuse me," Sue said quietly, placing her hand on Jack's arm to get his attention. "Could you both please slow down and look at me? I missed most of that."

Jack sat down and turned to her, his face darkened with anger and concern. "You saw the similarities in the photos, right? Linda Martin could have been your sister; it's eerie how much you look alike. VC wants to use you to set a trap for the killer."

Sue looked at Garrett for confirmation. "They want me to go undercover?"

"Yes, as a student at the university."

"This is not going to happen," Jack muttered fiercely.

Again Sue placed her hand on Jack's arm to stop him, a move that did not escape Garrett's notice. "Agent Hudson, I understand your concern; however, please try to respect the professionalism of this office." He looked pointedly at the younger man until he felt the message had been received. "Thomas...Sue, you don't have to accept this assignment. I understand that you just returned from a family emergency; it would be perfectly understandable if you felt you couldn't handle this case right now. I won't lie to you; if you do agree to do this, it will likely be the most difficult job you've ever done for the Bureau."

Sue studied the faces of the young women as she thought. She really did look very much like Linda, which might be all that was needed for a break in the case. Finally she nodded. "I'll do it."

"Sue…" Jack gazed at her, his eyes pleading.

"I need to do this," Sue told him. "It will be okay."

Jack looked at her for another agonizing moment and then sighed. "I won't let her go alone," he said to Garrett.

"She won't be alone. You're going with her." Seeing their surprise, Garrett smiled grimly. "I made Sue's participation contingent upon your involvement. Each of the victims had a boyfriend. We don't know for sure if that had anything to do with why they were killed, but it's too big of a gap to leave in the cover story. Jack, you'll be acting as Sue's boyfriend."

Sue's heart skipped a beat. She wasn't entirely sure she was ready for that emotional complication right now. Still, there was no one she trusted more. The whole idea of her role in this case was very disturbing, and she found herself glad that Jack would be by her side. "When do we start?"

"Today," Garrett replied. "You'll meet with Violent Crime first; I'll call to let them know you're coming. Take a few minutes to gather what you need and say goodbye to everyone. This case is on a need-to-know basis; you won't be able to explain everything to your teammates. Your work in your own unit will be reassigned for now."

Still trying to process all the information they had received, Jack and Sue stood and turned to leave. "Sue..." Garrett said. Jack touched her arm and motioned for her to turn back. "Be very careful." Sue nodded and left the office quickly before she could change her mind.

They started back to the Bullpen, but Jack grabbed her hand and pulled her into an empty conference room. He shut the door. "I don't like this," he said, still holding her hand.

She tightened her fingers around his. "Neither do I, but it has to be done."

Jack grinned at her ruefully. "You do realize that you just bought yourself an instant shadow?" At her look of confusion, he explained. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until this is over."

Sue smiled. "For once, that's okay with me. This case is really creepy; I'll take all the protection I can get."

His face sobered, and he did something that really surprised her given their location. He raised his hand to her face and cupped her cheek. "Sue..." he said quietly.

She brought her own hand up to rest against his chest. "I'll be okay."

"You'll be very, very careful," he added.

"Yes."

He leaned forward, and for one heart-pounding moment she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he leaned his forehead against hers and stood there for several intense seconds. Finally, he moved away with a sigh. "Let's go. The sooner we start, the sooner we can get this over with."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Martha House

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 2

Sue finished unpacking her bags in her dorm room and sat on her bed to think through the events of the past day. Saying goodbye to her teammates for the foreseeable future had been hard; not being able to tell them anything had been harder still. As much as she enjoyed her recently obtained independence, she also valued the impact that her friends made on her daily life. Whether they were sharing a joke or solving a case, she knew that she could always count on them. They made her laugh, they watched her back, and she desperately wished they could be involved in this operation. Agent Tomlinson from VC and his team seemed very nice and extremely competent, but she didn't know them.

Sensing her distress, Levi snuggled up next to her on the bed. She hugged him close. "I'm glad you're with me, guy." And Jack. It was disconcerting how much comfort she found in the thought that she would see him tonight. She was going to have to be very careful about separating fiction from reality for the next few days. Forcing her thoughts away from that area, she began to mentally review everything she had learned about the five murdered women.

Linda Martin had been the first to die, two months ago last Wednesday. Like the other victims, she had blond hair, brown eyes, and was of medium height with a slim figure. She was the one Sue resembled most closely. Linda had been about to enter her senior year at Grace; she had stayed over during the summer session to be close to her boyfriend. From all reports, she and Jeremy Parker had enjoyed a good relationship. Linda's roommate said the couple had talked about marrying the summer after graduation. Linda was studying Christian Education and had hoped to become an elementary teacher at a private Christian school. She had gone out on a date with Jeremy the night of her death. According to Jeremy's testimony, he had walked her back to campus at about ten o'clock, but had not seen her all the way to Martha House. At around midnight a groundskeeper found her body on the grass outside the residence hall. There was no evidence of molestation. A tiny white Bible, the kind given at Baptism, was tucked in her hands. She had been stabbed five times and left to bleed to death. The testimonies of both Jeremy Parker and the groundskeeper had been verified.

The other women followed at regular intervals. Stephanie Phillips was a senior at Grace, studying music, and she had also had a serious boyfriend. She was found outside the student building late one evening two weeks after Linda's death. Like all the others, she too had been holding a small white Bible.

Jessica Bartell had only been a sophomore when she died. Her devastated boyfriend had found her on the shore of a small lake that bordered the college. They had arranged to go swimming in the early afternoon, but he had been running late.

Katherine Ashcroft was the first woman killed away from campus. She was a junior at Grace and had attended an evening worship service at a nearby church. Her distraught boyfriend said that he hadn't been able to go with her to church that night, but thought she would be okay because she had her car. Unfortunately, the car wouldn't start after the service. Katherine left her vehicle in the parking lot and decided to chance the short walk back to the university. Later investigation showed that the car had been tampered with. The suggestion was made that the killer was becoming more creative as security at Grace tightened.

Melanie Stewart was the last victim. Killed just nine days ago, she was not a student at Grace. She did look like the other women, and she had a steady boyfriend. Interestingly, she attended the church Katherine Ashcroft had visited the night of her death. Melanie had gone over to her boyfriend's apartment and stayed late to watch a movie and talk. She didn't return to her own place until two in the morning. Her death was more violent than the others: she had been stabbed eighteen times and dumped by one of the garbage bins in her apartment complex. The white Bible, stained with blood, was found in the dirt beside her body.

~~~~ST~~~~

Martha House

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 2

Thinking about the victims overwhelmed her. She walked over to the window and opened the curtains to see the sunrise. As she looked out at the brilliant multicolored sky, she realized that at least one good thing had come out of this case. Her own problems seemed pretty insignificant when compared to what had happened to the victims and their families.

She moved around the room, gathering her books for her first classes. Her cover indicated that she was a transferring senior from a private Christian college in Ohio. She had moved because her boyfriend had gotten a job at a law firm in D.C. and she didn't want to be separated from him. The president of the university, the only person at Grace who knew the real story, had arranged Sue's admission. She had also pulled a few strings: letting Levi stay in the dorm was a requirement Sue had refused to back down from.

Under policy from the office for students with disabilities, Sue only had to enroll in nine hours to be considered full-time. She hated that label, because she didn't consider herself the least bit disabled, but it freed up her time to do her real work. In addition, the university was going to provide an interpreter for her classes. Neither the interpreter nor Sue's teachers would know who she really was; she would have to complete all of her assignments and take exams just like the other students. She had been admitted a week late; she would have to work hard to do well.

Grace Covenant University was a small school with only a single residence hall for female students and a much smaller building on the other side of campus for the men who attended school there. Under normal circumstances, Sue wouldn't have been able to even double up in a room this late in the semester. Because of the murders, however, a lot of students had left. As a result, Sue had a single, rather large room all to herself. She was glad for the privacy, but she found herself missing the warm comfort of the apartment she shared with Lucy.

You have to stop thinking about it, Sue reminded herself sternly. Your last name is Davenport, you just moved here, and you've never heard of anyone named Lucy Dotson. Deciding it was time she faced her fellow students, she checked her reflection in the mirror. The team had decided to downplay Sue's resemblance to Linda Martin so as not to make the killer suspicious. Linda had been a very natural, woodsy beauty, and so Sue was opting for a sleeker, more professional look that went well with having a lawyer boyfriend. Her hair had been lightened a few shades, and today she wore it in a chignon. Everything in her wardrobe positively screamed old money. Still, there was only so much she could do. She had already noticed a reaction from the few students she had met while moving in. She would just have to hope the killer would consider her an easy target because she was deaf. Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage, Sue picked up Levi's leash. "Come on, guy. It's time for class."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Martha House

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 2

As Sue got ready for her date with Jack later that evening, she thought about the people she had met that day. She had arrived at her first class early to meet her interpreter. She had been a little nervous about meeting her, having had bad experiences before with interpreters who didn't know or care enough to do the job properly. Still, using someone she already knew was obviously not an option, and there hadn't been time to arrange anything else.

She needn't have worried. Judy Marshall was a lovely woman in her sixties who had first learned to sign when her infant nephew, Ian, had been pronounced severely deaf. When Ian's parents had been unable (or unwilling) to care for him, Judy had taken him in. Divorced and childless, Judy found in Ian the baby she had always wanted. He had been her pride and joy, and she had been his cheering section. She hadn't earned much money on a county clerk's salary, but she had scraped and pushed and bullied her way to get what Ian needed, teaching him along the way to be his own advocate. In the end, all of the lessons about confidence and hard work and responsibility had paid off when, upon graduating from high school, Ian went to MIT on a full scholarship. She had put him on a plane, telling him how proud she was of him for earning his own way, and then she had gone home and cried for two straight weeks. She had never realized how quiet a house could be with no hands signing in it.

She first considered interpreting as a way to get out of the house after Ian left. In addition, she told Sue, she wanted to help other people avoid the same problems she and Ian had been through. She had worked hard, attending every seminar and class she could until she felt ready. As soon as she was certified it was obvious it was a perfect fit. People liked her because she put her heart and soul into expression, loving the language and the people she had chosen as her own. When her retirement with the county came up, she moved full-time into interpreting and never looked back. Ian had eventually moved closer to home with a young wife, and now Judy had grand-babies to spoil. Still, she continued to work. As far as she was concerned, every sign she made was a way of thanking God for her sweet baby boy. Comforted by such a loving presence, Sue had relaxed a little in her new environment.

In addition, her teachers and fellow students had been mostly friendly. Some people were uncomfortable around her, either because of her appearance or the fact that she was deaf, or both. Overall, though, people had responded well. They had asked questions and tried to adapt to her suggestions, and they had all been enchanted by Levi. Everyone was spooked by the murders, and Sue was reminded to be careful. She had decided that Grace was a lovely school, and the kindness she had encountered so far made her determined to stop the murderer before anyone else was hurt. She hadn't noticed anyone or anything unusual today, but she hoped this first date with Jack might get the killer's attention.

Sue took a last look at her elegantly casual outfit of slacks and a silky red blouse. When she picked up her purse, Levi recognized her intention and headed towards the door. Sue stopped him. "Sorry, boy, you have to stay here tonight." They had all agreed that the killer wouldn't be as likely to attack with Levi present, and so Sue had to arrange ways to be seen without him. Levi whined and put his nose on the floor under his paw. She chuckled sympathetically. "Poor Levi. I wish you could come, too."

She walked down the hall just in time to see Jack enter the building. He was wearing black slacks and a blue v-necked pullover, and she was touched to see that he had brought her flowers. "Hi," she said, taking the stunning red roses into her arms. "Jack, these are beautiful! And they smell wonderful."

Jack smiled as he bent down to kiss her cheek. "Congratulations on your first day at school."

"How sweet! I wish I had a guy to bring me flowers!" A vibrant redhead strolled out of the kitchen and gave the roses and Jack an approving look. "I'm Gina Daniels; I'm a theology major." She looked at Sue. "You're Sue Davenport. They said you looked like Linda, but I had no idea…" She gave a little shake of her head. "Welcome."

"Thanks," Sue replied. "This is my boyfriend, Jack Langford."

"Nice to meet you," Jack said, shaking Gina's hand.

Gina smiled. "Same here. Sue, do you have a vase for those flowers?"

"No," Sue admitted.

"No problem. Come into the kitchen with me; I'm sure we can find something."

Gina waved her hand towards the front parlor. "Jack, you can wait in there."

"He is gorgeous!" Gina whispered as she pulled Sue into the kitchen. Sue looked confused. Gina grimaced in disgust at herself and spoke more slowly. "Right, sorry. This is going to take some getting used to. Your boyfriend's really cute." She dug through a kitchen cabinet. "Here we go! I thought we had a vase left over from that time when Amy Spencer's boyfriend sent her flowers to try and crawl his way out of the doghouse."

"What did he do?" Sue asked.

"He was seen at a party slow-dancing and getting _very_ personal with a girl from Georgetown."

"Ouch." Sue wrinkled her nose. "I hope Amy threw him out for good."

Gina laughed. "He chipped his tailbone when he landed on the steps outside the front door. The flowers went in the trash; the vase was donated to the house for general use." Gina finished arranging the flowers. "There. That's really nice."

"Yes, it is," Sue agreed. She and Gina walked into the lounge where Jack was sitting on the sofa chatting with two other residents. Seeing Sue, he got to his feet.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes," Sue replied. "I think I'm going to leave the flowers down here for now and take them up to my room when we get back." She placed them on a small table by the front window. "That way everyone can enjoy them."

"They look nice there," Jack agreed. He placed his hand at the small of her back and escorted her out to his car.

On the way to dinner, Sue filled Jack in on everything she had done so far. "I didn't see anything suspicious," she lamented.

"That's okay; you've only been doing this for one day," Jack consoled her. "Nobody expects you to work miracles."

"I know, but we are working under a time schedule," Sue said.

Jack reached out to pat her hand. "Relax. The profilers say we have a few days before we have to worry."

"Unless he speeds up."

He nodded. "Yes, but we're watching you, 24/7. If he tries anything, we'll get him." He pulled into the parking lot of a small Italian restaurant. They went in, and Sue looked around with pleasure at the décor. Small white lights twinkled all along the walls and ceiling, hidden behind lush plants. A string quartet played in one corner of the room. It was exactly the kind of place where Attorney Jack Langford would take his girlfriend to dinner. The hostess showed them to a private corner table. After they had placed their orders Sue said, "Jack, this is really nice. Thanks for bringing me here."

"You're welcome, but I'm sure you'd rather be here with David." Jack cursed himself the moment the words left his mouth. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have said that."

"No, you shouldn't have." Caution and anger had replaced the warm glow in Sue's eyes.

They were silent while they waited for the waiter to bring their meal. Jack was furious with himself. _You idiot; what were you thinking? You're here on a case! You acted completely unprofessionally, and what's more, you hurt Sue's feelings!_ He knew he should try to help them regain the image of a young couple in love, but he had no idea what to do.

It was Sue who finally spoke. "David and I aren't seeing each other anymore," she said.

Jack was startled. "I'm...sorry." Seeing the look of disbelief in Sue's eyes, he continued. "No, I really am. It's obvious it hurts you. Why didn't you say anything before?"

"It happened very recently; I haven't had time. And I was afraid..."

"Afraid of what?"

Sue's eyes met his. "I was afraid of how you would react." She felt a twinge of regret as she saw pain flash across Jack's face.

Jack took a long drink of water, trying to hide his hurt at her statement. When he spoke next, his eyes were determined. "This isn't the time or the place."

"No."

The waiter brought their orders, providing them a convenient excuse to back away from the subject. They spoke about how good the food was and spent the rest of the meal making small talk.

Back at the college, Jack parked the car but didn't get out right away. Sue had been thinking about something ever since Jack mentioned David, but she had been afraid to bring it up. Finally, she took a deep breath and asked the question. "Since you started it, what about Allie?"

Jack looked at her in amazement. "What do you mean, what about Allie? We decided it wouldn't work; I haven't seen her in months."

"It's not nice when your friends don't tell you things, hmm?" Sue teased him, but she couldn't help feeling relieved at his answer.

Jack saw her face relax, and it gave him the courage to ask what he needed to ask. "Could we talk when this case is over? Really sit down and figure out...where things are?"

Sue knew what he was asking, and she was afraid of where it might lead. But she thought of what Lucy had said the other night: _You and Jack could have the kind of relationship most people dream about_. And she admitted to herself that she felt a longing, a wish to have more than the status quo they had so carefully maintained for the past two years. She smiled at him. "I'd like that."

He smiled back, and the promise in his eyes made a tiny thrill run through her body. He got out of the car and came around to open her door. Taking her hand, he pulled her into his arms. Sue took a deep breath, knowing what would happen next. Tonight was all about convincing the killer that Miss Davenport and her boyfriend were deeply in love. They had played this kind of role before, had even kissed while working a case, but she still had to remind herself that it was part of the job. _Protect your heart._

Jack kissed her, and she realized that protecting herself around him was going to be even harder than she thought. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she returned the kiss and gave herself up for one breathless moment to how good it felt to be like this with him. Finally she pulled away. She couldn't decide if she was pleased or apprehensive that he looked as shattered as she felt.

Jack had to take a few breaths before he could speak. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked as they started up the walk to Martha House.

"Yes," she said.

When they got to the door, he leaned in to nuzzle her neck. He pulled back just enough that she could see his mouth, still reddened from the kiss. "You smell wonderful." He placed a swift, hot kiss just under her jawbone. "Goodnight." He stood watching her as she unlocked the front door and let herself in.

Sue took a moment to lean against the door and gather her breath. What had just happened was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Still dazed, she began to head to her room. At the last minute, she remembered her flowers. The scent of roses was almost oppressively strong in the parlor. Sue was halfway across the room before she stopped, unable to believe what she was seeing.

The flowers had been destroyed, torn up and scattered across the floor with a kind of violence she couldn't begin to imagine. The mangled petals gave off the sickly sweet smell of death. Some little voice standing off at a distance in her head said that all the novelists had been right; red petals really did look like blood. The vase had been broken, and water had soaked the carpet. Sue stared at the shattered bits of crystal, remembering how her heart had felt so shattered not two days before, remembering how shattered she had felt in Jack's arms just now. _Oh God, he's been here...he might_ _still_ _be here...and I think the house is empty...and he might still be here...and I won't be able to hear him...OhGodOhGodOhGod..._


	8. Chapter 7

Thanks to everyone for reading! I'm replying to reviews when the website provides a reply option; otherwise, please know that I appreciate your feedback. It's good to see some of the old crowd around here!

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Chapter 7

Martha House

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 2

 _Get Jack!_ Every synapse in Sue's body was transmitting the same signal, firing the message at her until she was sure that the very cells in her body were screaming. _Get Jack; he might not be in his car yet. Go! Move!_

With an inarticulate cry, she flung herself to the front window just in time to see Jack drive away. _The panic button...use the panic button. That's what they gave it to you for. Press the button twice, and Jack will come running...they all will._ That final thought was the one that got her attention, slapping her face like so much cold water. Sue took a deep breath, forcing herself to push the fear back as much as she could. She turned so she could watch the entrance to the room as she thought. _The team would come, and he would see._

 _What if he's already gone? He probably is gone, and if I call the team now it will only blow the operation. All that hard work...for nothing. Come on, Sue. You wanted to be the professional; you said you could handle it. Do the job! Levi...go get Levi._

She crept down the hall to her room, paying attention to everything her eyes could tell her. When she unlocked the door and Levi ran up to jump on her, she almost wept. She wanted to close herself up in her room and hide her face in Levi's fur, but she made herself turn around and begin searching the house. She didn't stop until she and Levi had checked every room that wasn't locked. _I don't know what to do about the locked rooms,_ she worried as she made her way back to the front of the building.

When someone walked in the front door, Sue almost shot through the ceiling. "Gina! Oh, God."

Gina looked at her, concerned. "Sue? You're as white as a sheet! What's wrong?"

Someone tapped her on the arm. Sue whirled around, ready to fight. A pajama-clad brunette held up her hands in a placating gesture. "Whoa, sorry Sue. You look pretty shaken up. What's up?"

Sue took a deep breath and forced herself to regain control yet again. "Sorry, Isabelle." she said to the pretty southerner. She sighed. "You should both see this."

The two women followed Sue into the parlor. "I came back from my date and found this."

"What on Earth…" Gina said.

"I've checked the house, but I couldn't open some of the dorm rooms. We should make sure that nobody's here," Sue said.

"That nobody's here?" Gina looked at her, horrified. "You think it was him, don't you?"

"I don't know–" Sue began.

"We should call security," Isabelle demanded.

"No!" Sue thought quickly. She didn't want anyone to get hurt, but by this point she was fairly sure the killer was gone. Calling security would bring the team into the picture, and their chance at catching the murderer would slip away. "I'm not even sure it's him; this isn't really his style." _Oh, yes it is. It was him…it was him._ "Sometimes people pull mean pranks on me because I'm deaf. It wouldn't be the first time that something like this happened." _No, not like this. This was…evil._

"That's terrible!" Gina said furiously. "Look, I have the keys to the dorms because I'm senior resident. We'll all check together."

When they were finished and had returned to the parlor, Isabelle looked at the mess with dismay. "The more I think about this, the angrier I get. I love this school, and I'm tired of all the garbage we've been dealing with lately! We all walk around like we're in some kind of nightmare...I just wish things would go back to normal."

"Who all was here tonight?" Sue asked.

Isabelle shook her head. "I don't know. I was in my room all night. The other girls left about an hour ago to go to a new club."

"And I went out to a movie," Gina added. "Anyway, I refuse to believe any of our girls did this. An accident, maybe, but they would have cleaned it up and come forward about it."

"The parlor is where all the women have guests, isn't it?" Sue asked.

Gina nodded. "And it's the only room where men are allowed. Grace Covenant is pretty conservative, you know." She sighed. "Well, let's clean this up. Maybe we can save some of the flowers."

The three women got cleaning supplies from the kitchen. The roses were beyond hope, but Sue was able to slip a few of the larger glass shards into a plastic bag when the other girls weren't watching. She would give the bag to Jack in the morning. The loss of the flowers shook away the last bit of fear from Sue's mind and replaced it with a nice, healthy anger. _Jack_ had given her those roses.

Sue finished cleaning up and functioned on autopilot as she and Gina took Levi out for a very short walk. The anger simmered as she set out her clothes for the next day and got ready for bed. Slipping under the covers, she stared up at the ceiling for a long time. _You made a mistake tonight, you coward. You shouldn't have pushed me. You'll make more mistakes, and we_ _will_ _find you._ Finally she gave way to sleep.

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Hoover Building

Washington, D.C.

September 3

"Oh, this is bad. This is very, very bad," she whispered to herself.

"What are you doing?" The question startled Tara so much that she almost screamed.

She whirled around. "Myles! You scared me half to death!"

"Hmm, let's see. It's six in the morning, you're working alone with most of the lights turned off, and you're about to crawl out of your skin from nerves." His gaze narrowed on her face. "I repeat, what are you doing?"

Tara looked at him defiantly for a moment and then sighed. "Oh, alright. I have to talk to someone about this, or I'll go crazy." She motioned for Myles to pull a chair up to her desk. "I didn't like the way that Sue and Jack ran out of here without telling us anything. I understand need-to-know, but whatever they're involved in smells like big trouble. I mean, Sue's dad is still recovering and she has to leave a number where she can be contacted?" Tara shook her head. "Then I heard from...someone…that our favorite almost couple had taken an assignment with VC."

Myles' face reflected his surprise. "Violent Crime? What conceivable reason could they have for working there?"

"I wasn't sure, but it made me even more nervous. I came in early this morning and wrote a program to search through all the local news sources for crimes that might be VC material. It compiled number and profile of victims, level of confidentiality required, and investigative skills necessary. All of the factors were then compiled into a probability chart detailing the likelihood of Jack and Sue being assigned to each case."

Myles just stared at her.

"What?" she asked defensively.

He shook his head, amazed. "Only you. Okay, what did your devious little foray into clandestine behavior uncover?"

"It was actually the program that found it," Tara reminded him.

Myles grit his teeth and seriously considered counting to ten. "What did the _program_ uncover?"

Tara grinned at him. "I thought you'd never ask. It didn't assign it the highest probability, but that was only because I forgot to figure in physical appearance." Her face sobered. "The second response found it." She turned her computer so Myles could look at it.

Myles read the screen with increasing disbelief. "The Sunday School Murders?"

"Take a look at the photo of victim number one," Tara said.

Myles clicked on the link. "My God."

Tara nodded. "What are we going to do?"

Myles shot her a curious glance. "What makes you so sure that _we_ are going to do anything?"

Tara shifted uncomfortably. "I thought I would approach VC and offer my help...unofficially. Jack and Sue are my friends, and I want to be there to back them up. Besides, I don't know who they have over there on computers, but I'm better."

Myles smiled. "That goes without saying." He was silent for a few seconds. "We can't tell the others about this."

She sighed. "I know; I'm probably in enough trouble as it is."

Myles stood, offering her his hand. "Let's go visit VC, shall we? But let me do the talking; my persuasive techniques are beyond parallel."

Tara chuckled. "Lead on, Harvard."

Thirty minutes later they had come within inches of being officially reprimanded and had managed to irritate at least half of the top brass of the Bureau, but they had what they wanted: permission. They would have to work on the case on their own time for no pay, and they couldn't say anything to their team. Still, both agents felt a rush of satisfaction. Caught up in the moment, Myles unbent enough to ask Tara to join him for lunch later.

She surprised herself by accepting.


	9. Chapter 8

I'm so very sorry to be delayed like this! I started a new job a few weeks ago and didn't anticipate how much time it was going to take out of my day. I will try to be better; I promise! In any case, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and accept it as my apology. (Side note: anonymous poster Goof, did I know you from the other site? There was a wonderful young man on the other site who went by a similar name.)

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Chapter 8

Martha House

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 3

"Morning, Sue," Gina was waiting when Sue came downstairs. "I spoke to the other girls about last night. The only two non-residents that anyone can remember being in the house were Professor Mitchell and Joshua Evans. I can't really see either of them destroying your flowers, but somebody had to."

"I don't know them. Did they come over to visit someone?" Sue asked.

"Dr. Mitchell teaches Cultural Anthropology and World Religions. He came over to pick up some papers his grader left for him; she had to go home unexpectedly earlier this week. Joshua Evans works in the library and takes classes part-time. He stopped in for a few minutes to drop off a flyer about a fundraiser to buy books for the library."

Sue made a mental note of the two names. "Could either of them have overheard that the flowers were for me?"

Gina shrugged. "Maybe. I heard some of the girls talking about it when I left for the theater. If they wanted to know, it would have been easy enough to find out." She glanced at Sue. "I know you said you didn't think this had anything to do with the murders, but you still need to be careful. You look a lot like the girls who were killed."

"Except that I'm deaf," Sue pointed out. She didn't want Gina to figure out how convenient her sudden enrollment at Grace really was. "Thanks for asking around, Gina. I have to get to class."

"Which is it today?"

"Biblical Literature of the Old Testament," Sue answered.

"Ooh, Dr. Samuels. You'll have to study hard for that one," Gina grinned.

Sue rolled her eyes. "Great, now I have something to look forward to." She gave a gentle tug on Levi's leash. "Come on, guy. I might need you to keep me awake for the next hour." She walked to class, her steps quickening as she thought. _It threw you, didn't it, me showing up? I told you that you made a mistake._ She couldn't wait to get this information to Jack.

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Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 3

Jack came to visit at lunchtime. They took Levi for a long walk so Sue could tell him her news about the flowers and the two possible suspects. Jack's face darkened with concern as he heard about the incident. "You should have called me; I would have come back."

"I wanted to," she admitted, "but I was afraid it would give us away. I haven't met either of these men yet, but I did print off their personal pages from the school web site." She handed Jack copies of the two documents as well as the bag containing the pieces of glass from the vase. "Tomorrow's Saturday; you're not coming over at all, are you?"

Jack shook his head. "No, we want to give the killer some time to approach you while you're alone."

"Right," Sue said. "I'm thinking that my classes are really difficult; I'm going to need some time in the library with the books. That will take care of Joshua Evans; I haven't quite figured out how to approach Dr. Mitchell."

"Be careful," Jack said sternly. "This guy lost control with the flowers. That means you're pushing his buttons."

Sue nodded. "I think so, too." They stopped walking and Sue realized they were standing by the lake where Jessica Bartell had died. She mentioned it to Jack.

"Yes, she was found on the other side by that grove of trees," Jack replied.

Sue looked across the sparkling blue expanse of water. "It's hard to imagine in the daylight that such ugliness is happening here. Jack, we have to stop him."

He covered her hand with his own. "We will." Noticing a food vendor, he changed the subject. "Do you want to get some lunch?"

"Seeing as how we're on our lunch break, that might be a good idea," Sue teased him.

Jack groaned. "So you're a comedian, now?" He reached down to tickle her side.

"Jack! No…stop!" Laughing, she ran a little distance away.

"Okay, I'll be good. You can come back now." Jack promised.

"No way. I'll stand over here while you pay for lunch." Sue informed him.

Grumbling, Jack reached for his wallet. She gave him her order with a sassy grin and turned to watch the crowd as he got the food.

The next minute of her life went by so fast that she almost didn't realize it had happened until it was over. Sue saw the young woman across the street trying to buckle a car seat into her van; she saw the toddler step away from the vehicle and head across the road. She saw the SUV barreling down from the north, moving much too quickly on such a small street. All she had time to do was order Levi to stay, hoping her dog wouldn't try to protect her and end up getting hurt. Before Jack had even turned around, Sue was racing across the street, flinging herself at the little girl and rolling out of the way just as the SUV sped past.

She barely had time to send up a quick prayer of thanks before Jack was there, pulling her to her feet. The young mother was still crying and embracing her daughter when Jack marched Sue and Levi down the street, walking so fast Sue could hardly keep up. He didn't say a word as he herded her into a little pavilion on the edge of campus. Even then, he didn't speak. He just stood there breathing rapidly, his jaw tightening more with every second.

"Jack…" she began.

"I'm proud of you," he bit out.

"But you're also angry."

" _Yes_. No. I was scared." His skin was pale above his collar. "I turned around, and you were just…gone."

"Jack, it was a _child_."

"I know that," he said. "I understand why. It's just that you're always so fearless."

She looked at him, astonished. "That's not true!"

He nodded grimly. "It is. You are. And sometimes your concern for others makes you impulsive, makes you forget to take care of yourself. It scares me."

Sue took his hand, willing him to understand. "I can't live my life in a state of over-protection. I won't live that way."

"I'm not asking you to."

"Aren't you?" she asked sadly.

"No! Look, how did you feel when I was almost–" he stopped, remembering just in time where they were. S-H-O-T, he spelled.

"That's not fair!" she protested.

"It's no different," he countered. "Answer the question."

Sue ran a hand through her hair, trying to calm down. Finally she spoke. "Okay, I see your point."

Jack looked at her pleadingly. "Just be careful. Please be so very careful."

She looked up at him and felt her heart fill with an emotion she wasn't ready to name, that she might never be comfortable naming. "Okay. I promise."

Jack took a shallow breath. "Okay. And one more thing."

Sue looked at him warily. "What?"

"This." Before she could move, Jack had pulled her into his arms and was kissing her with such intensity that she wasn't sure her legs could hold her up. He walked her backwards until she was pressed against the wall of the pavilion, and all the while his mouth was locked on hers, desperately seeking reassurance that she was safe. He pulled away, cupping her face in his hands. "Sue…if I had lost you today..." With a groan, he captured her lips again, tormenting her until Sue was sure she could feel flames burning her skin where their bodies touched. He pressed her deeper and deeper against the cold, rough wood at her back, but she no longer felt it. Her whole world had narrowed to him and the way he was making her feel. When he broke away suddenly, she cried out from the shock. "Jack?"

In answer, he turned slightly so that she could see the gentleman standing at the entrance to the pavilion, his face disapproving. She had never met him, but she recognized his face from the picture on his web page. "Professor Mitchell."

"Ms. Davenport, perhaps you don't realize that Grace Covenant has a reputation to uphold as a conservative Christian university."

Sue felt her face flush. "Yes; I'm sorry. We were talking and…things got a little out of hand."

Mitchell's expression remained stern. "I know that you're new to our school, but please try to act with more decorum and restraint in the future."

"Yes, of course," she replied. She and Jack watched as the instructor walked away.

"Whew! Well, there's your meeting with Dr. Mitchell," Jack said. "I think he definitely bears watching."

"Yes."

They eyed each other for a few moments, both feeling awkward about what had just occurred. Finally Jack spoke. "Sue, I'm-"

She broke in quickly. "Don't tell me you're sorry, because I won't believe it." She gathered Levi's leash and headed out of the pavilion. As she passed Jack, she muttered, "I'm not sorry, either."

At her words, Jack felt something move into his heart and lodge there. He felt like he had just won the Stanley Cup...all by himself. He came alongside her and waved to get her attention, not trusting himself to touch her again just yet. "I left our food at the stand."

Her lips quirked into a smile. "Well, go back and get it."

He grinned like a complete idiot. "Yes, Ma'am."


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Damascus Library

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 4

There were so many things Sue loved about libraries. She watched the morning sunlight filter through the windows and dance among the shelves. Libraries smelled good, giving off the comforting scent of old, much-loved books. Each story held the promise of history. "Read me!" the books all seemed to shout. "Important things happened in my pages!" Sue looked around her, thinking of all the students whose lives had been formed in this building.

Finally she forced herself to return her attention to her work. Gina had been right; Biblical Literature was going to be difficult. Since she had no idea how much longer she would be a student at Grace, she had to make the effort to do well. She was determined to get a little more studying done before she approached Joshua Evans. She had seen him as soon as she came in, but hadn't spoken to him. She didn't want to be too obvious, and she was hoping that if she waited long enough, he would approach her. After almost two hours, she was about ready to admit defeat.

Suddenly Levi jumped up into her lap to get her attention. Sue looked up to see Joshua standing in front of her. He was just finishing talking; she couldn't catch any of it. Her heart jumped, but she forced herself to remain calm. "I'm sorry; did you ask me something?"

He smiled apologetically. "No, I'm sorry. I had heard that you were deaf, but I forgot. I'm Joshua Evans. What are you studying?"

"Biblical Literature," She answered. She took a second to really look at him. He was even better looking than his photo had suggested, with his blond hair and blue eyes. His expression seemed to reflect nothing more than friendliness and curiosity. If he was hiding something, she couldn't see it.

"That's a really hard class. Stop by the library any time you want; I'll help you look for resources," he offered.

She nodded. "I might have to take you up on that."

He smiled. "Great; just let me know. I have to get back to work now." He picked up one of her library books. "Are you ready to check out?"

"Yes," she said, with probably a little more force than was necessary. "I've had plenty of studying for one day."

Joshua chuckled, "I'll bet." He gathered her books into his arms. "Come on; I'll run these through the system."

"Thanks," Sue replied.

He checked all of the books and slid them into a bag. He also pointed to a stack of flyers on the counter. "Don't forget our upcoming fundraiser; it's a party. Maybe you can come."

"Maybe. I'll have to check with my boyfriend," Sue said.

Something flickered briefly in his eyes. "Yes, well…it's for a good cause. See you around, Sue."

"Bye." Sue left the library, wondering. _He didn't like it when I mentioned my boyfriend; maybe he was just hoping I was single?_ She had to admit that she really didn't know.

~~~~ST~~~~

Hoover Building

Washington, D.C.

September 4

"Huh. This is…disgusting."

"What is it?" Jack was by Tara's side in less then a second.

Tara shot him an amused glance. She and Myles had come in to the office this morning, giving up their Saturday to work on the case. Jack had joined them. He hadn't seen Sue since the day before, and he was positively twitching with nervous energy. She started to tease him about it, but took pity on the look in his eyes. "Dalton Mitchell was let go from a university six years ago for having a relationship with a female student, but it doesn't look like the administration at Grace was aware of it. It took me awhile to find anything; he either fixed the records himself or hired someone to do it. Whoever cleaned this up was very, very good with computers."

Myles looked at her with pride. "But you're better."

Tara smiled triumphantly. "Yes, I am."

"Good work, Tara," Jack said approvingly. "Did the police interview Mitchell during the initial investigation?"

"Yes," she replied. "All of the men on campus had to give official statements. Mitchell was immediately ruled out as a suspect; he had an alibi for the night Linda Martin was murdered."

"We'll have to check that again," Jack said. "The lab didn't find anything on the glass Sue gave me. What else do we know?"

Myles spoke up hesitantly. "There's something about Joshua Evans. All I've uncovered so far is that both his parents and sister are dead. He looks fine on paper; I can't explain it except to say that something doesn't feel right." He looked decidedly uncomfortable with such illogical reasoning.

"Trust your instincts, Myles," Tara said.

"Absolutely," Jack agreed. "If you think it needs a second look, that's good enough for me. Sue was supposed to meet him today. I'll ask about it when I see her in the morning."

"Escorting your lovely girlfriend to church?" Myles asked dryly.

"Yes, Myles," Jack said sarcastically. "I'm taking Sue to church. You know, you might want to go sometime yourself. I hear it does wonders for attitude problems."

~~~~ST~~~~

Reverend John Moore Chapel

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 5

Jack didn't even try to lie to himself about how glad he was to see Sue the following morning. Her security team had reported no problems since he had left her on Friday afternoon. Still, he felt a rush of relief when he saw her waiting for him outside the school's chapel. She was wearing a royal blue dress that made her look elegant and utterly desirable, and he realized that the only place he wanted to be was by her side. His world had changed irrevocably two days ago as he watched her dash across a busy street to save a child. That...presence that had lodged in his heart had taken root, and he was just about ready to give it a name. He took Sue's hand and squeezed it gently, accepting that he was no longer playing a role, if in fact he ever had been. "Good morning, beautiful."

Sue blushed, but managed to answer steadily enough. "Good morning." She had noticed the change in Jack as soon as he stepped out of his car. His eyes positively glowed when he looked at her, and his every action seemed to have such...purpose. She decided that Lucy had been right; all Jack had been waiting for was a chance. She envied him his confidence and wondered what she would decide when the time came. She had learned a long time ago that what felt right wasn't always the best choice.

She motioned to the older woman standing beside her. "Jack, this is my interpreter, Judy Marshall. She agreed to come to church this morning with me."

"It's nice to meet you. Do you mind if I borrow my girlfriend for just a minute?" He grinned, his eyes twinkling. "I haven't seen her since Friday, you know." Judy agreed, laughing, and he pulled a very embarrassed Sue to a grove of trees not far from the building.

"Jack..."

"Ooh. Are you going to use that tone with me when we get married? I hope so." He knew he was pushing his luck, but he just couldn't seem to help it.

Sue put her hands on her hips. "Jack, be serious."

"Okay, I'll try to behave." Sobering quickly, he gave her the latest news. He had told her on Friday that Tara and Myles had joined the case, and she couldn't help the feeling of relief she got from working with people she knew. When Jack got to the part about Myles's preoccupation with Joshua Evans, she jumped in.

"I met him yesterday at the library, he checked out my books for me. He got upset when I mentioned my boyfriend." She told him exactly what had happened.

Jack's gaze narrowed thoughtfully. "The bag of books he checked out for you, have you done anything with it?"

"No, I haven't even looked at it since," she said somewhat guiltily.

"Avoiding your homework, young lady?" Jack teased.

"I prefer to call it creative time management," Sue replied. "Anyway, if you think the bag might be useful, I can give it to you after church."

"And thus have a convenient excuse for not finishing your assignment," Jack chuckled.

Sue turned up her nose. "I think it's time for the service to start." She moved away so quickly that Jack had to rush to catch up with her.

As sunlight settled on the pews in the chapel, Sue admitted to herself how good it felt to sit beside Jack; she had a sudden image of doing this together every Sunday, of what it would be like to be part of a couple with him. It seemed right, but she reminded herself to be cautious. Guiltily, she realized that the preacher had begun the sermon while she was daydreaming. She forced all stray thoughts from her mind and concentrated as Judy's hands portrayed the beauty of the scriptures.

Jack watched the interpreter sign the message and was amazed yet again at the elegance of the language. He thought about how much he would have missed if Sue hadn't come into his life. Overcome by the thought, he sent up a fervent prayer of thanks for the blessing God had given him in meeting Sue...

...and loving her.

And just like that, the presence in his heart had its proper name. He reached down to hold her hand, and she smiled at him. If the light from the chapel windows got a little blurry, he told himself it was just because he was happy.


	11. Chapter 10, Part 1

I continue to appreciate everyone's kind comments. Side note: Goof - well, thank you anyway for reading the story! :)

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Chapter 10

Martha House

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 5

Sue was sitting at the desk in her dorm and working on her homework when Levi got her attention. "What is it, boy?" Levi ran to the door. "Oh, okay." She got up and went to open it. One of the other residents was waiting outside.

"Hey Sue, your boyfriend's here."

The girl spoke a little too quickly and was hard to follow, but Sue caught the word boyfriend. "Jack?" she asked. At the girl's nod, she replied, "Thank you. Come on, Levi; let's go see what Jack wants." Puzzled, she headed down the hall. As soon as she entered the parlor, she knew something was wrong. Jack was walking towards her, smiling, but the look in his eyes was strained. To a stranger he would appear to be fine, but to someone who cared about him his body screamed with tension. She almost faltered, but caught herself just in time.

"Hi, honey. I didn't expect you back today."

Jack wrapped an arm around her and gave her a slight squeeze, keeping his face where she could see it. "I just can't seem to stay away from you," he said. "I thought I would stop by and see if you wanted to go for a drive?"

She nodded. "Okay. Can Levi come?" She didn't know whether he was supposed to be part of this or not.

"Sure. Come on, buddy. Do you want to go for a ride in the car?" Jack ruffled Levi's fur.

As soon as they were in the car, Sue asked, "What happened?"

"Nothing; it's what has to happen that has me concerned." Before she could ask any more questions, Jack said, "Let me find a place to stop, and we'll talk."

He pulled up to a small park. The view outside the front window made a pretty scene: young mothers chatted while children ran around on the playground. They got out of the car and took Levi for a walk as they talked. "Professor Mitchell's problems with a former student are even worse than we suspected."

"What do you mean?" Sue asked.

Jack's face was grim. "What happened…wasn't consensual."

Sue stared at him, horrified. "My God."

"The girl didn't take it to court because she was too afraid," he said, feeling sick to his stomach. He continued, "There's more. Myles found out that Joshua Evan's sister died in childbirth. Her married name was Angela Parker; she and her husband were expecting their first baby. She was home alone when the baby came, and she hemorrhaged. She never even made it the phone. Joshua came by later to see if she wanted to go out to dinner; he found the bodies. That's the kind of thing that could really mess with someone, especially if any kind of mental instability was already present." Sensing her next question, he said, "We don't know if that's the case with Evans. There's just so much we're not sure of."

"What did the two women look like? Was either of them a match for the victims?" Sue wanted to know.

"We don't have photos yet. Also, the lab report about the book bag won't be back for a few more days; the crime guys have gotten a little backed up."

"So, we still don't know whether it's Mitchell or Evans," Sue said.

"No," Jack replied. "It might not be either of them, for all we know. The killer might not even be associated with Grace, although the profilers think that's unlikely."

Sue looked at him, sensing he was building up to what he needed to say. "So, what's the plan?"

Jack sighed. "We still have people checking leads, but the information just isn't coming in fast enough. We think the killer plans to strike again sometime in the next couple of days."

"What are we going to do?" Sue persisted.

Jack took her hands in his, searching for the right words. "We're going to try and force his hand, make him lose control." Gathering his courage, he told her what the team had decided was the best approach. When he finished, he squeezed her hands. "You don't have to do this. _We_ don't have to do this."

Sue's heart told her it was a bad idea. It might work...it probably _would_ work professionally, but what would it do to them personally? She didn't want to get hurt, and she didn't want to hurt Jack. She watched children play on the swings and thought about young women who would never get to have babies of their own. "You know we have to, Jack." She plastered a brave smile on her face as she looked into his eyes. "We'll do it tomorrow night. There's a charity event at the school; hopefully our killer will think that security will be more relaxed."

Jack looked at her for a long moment. Finally he leaned over and kissed her, hard. "You're amazing. Meeting you was one of the best things that ever happened to me." He sighed. "Okay, let's work through the plan. If we have to do this, I want to make sure we know our lines."


	12. Chapter 10, Part 2

This part is where the story begins to earn its rating, although it doesn't really go all that far. Due to the nature of the story line, things get a bit intense for the next few posts.

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Martha House

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 6

By the time Monday evening rolled around, Sue had decided that nothing could possibly happen that would be worse than the tension she had lived with for the past few days. She had spent every available minute since she and Jack had parted the previous day in preparation for tonight. She had done and said everything she was supposed to. Now she just wanted it to be over. _I can handle this; I'm just playing a role. Nothing has to change. It doesn't have to affect me unless I let it._

She took a last critical look at her reflection in the mirror. _What do you know? Mother was right. Every woman_ _ **should**_ _have a little black dress._ There was nothing spectacular about the outfit; cut in a simple style, it had shoulder straps and stopped at the knee. It wasn't overtly sexy, but something in the way it fit made all the difference. Sue Davenport's elegant chignon wasn't making an appearance tonight; instead, gold silk draped over her shoulders and down her back. She was getting engaged tonight, and she wanted Jack to like her hair.

He said something complimentary when she walked into the parlor, but it didn't register. All her focus was on his eyes: bright, determined. She took his hand and let him lead her to the door, and she wondered if they would both burn to the ground before this was over. Neither of them spoke a word on the way to the restaurant. They just held hands tightly, fingers intertwined, fates committed.

The location he had chosen was sufficiently showy. They made a striking impression as they walked to their table, her in that dress and him in a suit and tie. They ordered the most expensive meals on the menu and a bottle of house wine, but both were careful not to drink too much. When the meal was over, he went down on one knee in a dramatic move guaranteed to get attention. When she saw the ring she let out a small cry, because it was exactly the kind of ring that she, Sue Thomas, had always imagined receiving some day.

She almost broke down then. Only his eyes, those glorious, burning eyes, gave her the courage to continue. So she sat there in a stranger's dress, accepting a ring from someone else's boyfriend. The enchanted audience of the restaurant cheered, a bottle of champagne was produced, and Jack Langford gave his fiancée an extravagant kiss. She closed her eyes and prayed the killer was watching, prayed this charade was making him as angry as it was her.

They left the restaurant and drove to a small park. Melanie Stewart had stayed late into the night at her boyfriend's place, and the killer had stabbed her eighteen times. That was the effect they were aiming for. They would push the boundaries as far as they dared, hoping that they pushed far enough to make the killer snap. They decided to go for the shock value of being out in the open, in public, hoping to enrage him even further. They were placing all their hope on this one overwhelming effort, and tonight they planned on giving the performance of their lives.

Jack pulled out some blankets from the back of the car, and she remembered his irritation from the night before: _I am not doing this in a car! You deserve better than that._ Biting her lip to keep from crying, she reached for the portable lantern that had been her idea: _It won't be a very romantic evening if I can't see what you're saying._

They spread the blankets out under a tree and turned on the lamp. Jack took off his coat and tie and sat down next to her. He ran his fingers through her hair and said, "Hello, future wife. I love you." Then she did cry, because for just a moment her Jack was looking at her out of those tender eyes. He pulled her into an embrace and held her until she had calmed down. _OKAY?_ he signed.

 _Yes. No. I don't think I can do this._ She nodded and struggled to remember her lines. "I was just thinking...I don't want to wait until graduation. I don't want to be your _future_ wife; I want to be your _wife_ , now and always."

"We could get married at Christmas," he suggested, playing his part.

"Really?" she asked, and her heart grieved for Linda and Jeremy and all the others who never had a chance. "I'd like that...husband." He was silent for a moment, not moving on to the next scene. "Jack?" she prompted him.

He looked at her, his eyes dangerously familiar. "I was picturing our first baby." The unexpected statement shook her, hard, and she didn't have to pretend to shiver. He reverted to his role. "Are you cold?"

"A little."

A sinful grin shot across his face. "I'll bet I can help with that." He switched off the light and gently lowered her to the ground, wrapping the blankets around them. He kissed her, and she was glad to stop thinking.

Jack wondered what he had ever done that would warrant this kind of torture. Sue's mouth was warm and soft under his; he was drowning in the smell of her skin. He kissed her for what seemed like hours, discovering the way she tasted. His hands were gentle, then rough. Her dress had been driving him crazy all night; he grabbed one of the straps and pulled it down.

He tried to remind himself to be careful, to take it only as far as they had planned, but the tension that had raged in him all night had finally been released and was refusing to slow down. His mouth found the crevice between her breasts, and he bit down gently, following it with the soothing warmth of his tongue. She moaned, a low, deep rush of air unlike any sound he had ever heard her make. He started whispering to her, moving his mouth against her skin, knowing she couldn't see but needing to say the words anyway. He brushed her skirt aside; his fingers gently stroked the soft skin of her hip.

Her hands were under his shirt; he gasped as her fingertips touched his chest and slid down to the sensitive skin of his abdomen. She moved slightly, pulling him further on top of her, and his body shifted to exactly the place it wanted, _needed_ to be. Some primitive instinct fired inside him that he almost couldn't control. With everything that he was, he wanted to finish what they had started.

He rested his head on her chest, breathing rapidly. It was enough. It would have to be enough; he couldn't do anymore.

He gave her one last rough kiss before sitting up and turning on the lantern. It almost killed him. Her eyes were huge and dark, filled with desire...and heartbreak. "I should take you home," he said carefully, afraid of saying too much. She nodded, and he could tell she was already withdrawing from him. He felt his own heart break in protest.

He deliberately left the light on as he fixed his clothes and helped her with her dress, giving the killer every available piece of ammunition. _Did you see what you were looking for, you bastard? Did we break you yet?_ He wrapped her hand in his, trying desperately to hold on to the only thing that mattered.

Oppressive silence filled the car on the drive back to campus. It was crucial that they remain in character; they didn't know who might be watching or listening.

She wanted to ask him if it had all been an act.

He wanted to tell her that he had meant every single thing he had done and said that night.

He saw her to the house and kissed her goodnight, hoping with everything inside him that he hadn't lost her forever.


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Martha House

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 6

Sue's entire life had been about maintaining control. She'd had to be remarkably self-contained, just to survive all that the world threw at her. The demands of her mother...cruelty and hazing by students when she was at school...derision among the ranks of the FBI. She'd overcome each obstacle by remaining calm and professional, proving that she had what it took to succeed at anything she chose to do. If that serenity had become a talisman, a source of peace for her in a world that often gave nothing but struggle and grief in return, could anyone blame her?

She realized, as she stared at the devastated woman who looked back at her from the hall mirror, that she could, and did, blame herself. She had chosen to hide behind that control, and now that it was wrested from her, she found herself utterly devastated. She had felt her control slipping throughout this assignment, and tonight...

She had thought she could handle it? She had honestly believed they could act out that scene without affecting their relationship? She couldn't believe she had deluded herself so thoroughly. _It's over. Whatever we had...whatever we were going to have. It's too much._

She knew she wasn't thinking rationally. She knew that she'd hurt Jack with her actions, and that caused her more pain than she could express. All the same, she didn't know how to stop. Everything felt like it was spiraling away, and she was so afraid - afraid of the killer, yes, but also terrified about what was happening in her relationship with Jack. She'd never felt so strongly about anyone before, and it frightened her. He would require everything that she had to give...

 _I can't handle it. It's over. It's over._ To her dismay, she saw tears fill the eyes of the woman in the mirror. She gave a little heartbroken sob and turned away, not wanting to face herself. She took long, deep breaths, forcing herself to count the seconds between each one. She focused on an uneven spot on the floor, willing the chaos in her mind to calm.

 _Finish the job, Sue. The killer's waiting._

They had decided that Sue Davenport wouldn't want to wait to show off her ring; she would walk, unescorted, to the student union where most of the other students were gathered at the fundraiser. She would stay for awhile and then slip out and head back to the dorm alone. The team would be watching the whole time, hoping the killer would attack. If they had pushed the right buttons.

 _Good Lord, how could we not have? We've destroyed ourselves; surely that was enough._ She deliberately ignored the thought and turned back to the mirror, taking a moment to tame her hair and straighten her dress. She finished cleaning herself up until no outward trace of her distress was evident. The utter sorrow that covered her heart was hers alone. _I've paid every price I had to give…except my life. Let's see if you want that, too._

She didn't have to take Levi out for a walk; Gina had done it earlier. Still, she went down the hall to her room. If this didn't work, she wanted to see him one more time. She hadn't thought she was capable of absorbing any more pain, but a fresh wave rolled over her as she gave him a fierce hug. "You can't come with me, Levi. Stay here; that's a good boy." _Thank you for being such a good friend._

She went down the steps outside Martha House, almost fatalistic about it now. Whether they caught him before or after really didn't matter, as long as he was stopped. She just hoped it would happen quickly; she didn't want to live in this empty moment anymore.

It was a complete surprise when he struck, and yet it made perfect sense. It was as if her mind took a still photograph of that one instant in time and said, "Of course. If I were the killer, I, too, would have waited by that little stone wall." She accepted the logic of it, the exact sequence that led to the fall of that terrible, vengeful knife. The overwhelming violence of his attack was mapped out in her head in analytic precision: they had pushed to break, and they had succeeded. Her mind categorized the deep, burning pain in her side; the aim of at least one of the blows had been true.

Something in her came alive then, not so much the will to survive as an overpowering anger. She was absolutely furious, so overcome with her madness that she could barely stand. She fought him with everything that she was, pulling and biting and scratching, wanting to draw his blood as he had drained hers. She realized that she was screaming; she could feel it tearing at her throat. She kept struggling, so horribly angry, wanting to hold on just long enough for the team to get there. _Hurry...please don't let him get away. Not after all this..._

And then it was over. Tomlinson and his men were there, pulling Joshua Evans away from her. She spotted Myles in the crowd of faces. He was pointing at her and yelling to someone. With her last bit of strength, she looked up to see Jack running towards her, her Jack, her would-be hero. "Jack, I'm sorry..."

Then everything was gone.


	14. Chapter 12

Thank you all for the continued support and reviews! This next part gets a bit creepy; consider yourself warned.

Side note to reviewer M: Yeah, Sue was pretty overwhelmed and not thinking very logically during that chapter, right? More on that later.

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Chapter 12

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 6

Tara methodically packed up computer equipment to take back to the office, using the activity to keep her mind occupied. If she could focus on checklists and inventories, she didn't have to think about what had happened less than an hour ago just a short distance away from where she stood. If she let her thoughts wander, she would remember the anguish on Jack's face as he held Sue in his arms, pleading for help. There had been so much blood...

She gave a firm shake of her head and returned to her work. Sue had been taken to the hospital. There wouldn't be any word on her condition for awhile. Worrying wasn't going to change anything. All she could do was pray that her friends would be okay, pray that this terrible evening hadn't asked too much of them.

The profilers had suggested that Joshua Evans would be coming off of an adrenaline high immediately after the attack; it might be a good time to get a statement from him. Tomlinson had decided to take the first crack at him before they even left the scene. They had secured a room in the library, and Myles had been invited to sit in. Tara was glad she didn't have to go. She was quite happy to work in her own field; she didn't need the kind of nightmares that came from listening to a serial killer brag about his prowess.

"Agent Williams, I have a favor to ask of you."

Tara looked up as Tomlinson entered the surveillance van. Myles followed close behind, his face furious. "I just want to go on the record stating that I think this is a bad idea," he said, scowling.

Tomlinson nodded a tad forcefully, as if this were part of a conversation they had already had. "It will be noted, Leland." He turned back to Tara. "I was wondering if you could talk to Evans."

Tara looked at him in disbelief. "You want me to interrogate him?" That wasn't her usual role on her own team, much less for a completely different division.

"We don't have to call it that, if it makes you uncomfortable. He's not opening up to us. We thought if he was approached by a woman, he might break down. I know this isn't your area of expertise, but you're the only female agent on site."

Tara's face grew slightly pale, and Myles burst in hurriedly. "I really don't think this is necessary. I'm sure we can get someone else."

"Hold on," Tara said. "What is it that you want me to do, exactly?"

"Just try to get him to tell you why he did it," Tomlinson answered. "We're not lacking in physical evidence, but a confession never hurts. Besides, any insight we can gain helps us be that much smarter the next time. You don't have to stay in there the whole time. Just find out what you can and leave when it gets to be too much for you."

"You don't have to do this," Myles said gruffly.

Tara thought of all those bright young women, dead. Then she thought about the stillness of Sue's body, and how the look on Jack's face would haunt her forever. She took a deep breath. "Tell me what I need to do."

~~~~ST~~~~

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Damascus Library

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 6

"Mr. Evans? My name is Tara. I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes." She wasn't exactly sure how she walked to the table with her legs shaking so badly. She reached for a chair and gratefully sat.

"So they sent in a woman now, did they?" Joshua Evans shrugged. "It makes no difference to me. I'm still not saying anything."

Tara looked at him for a long second before speaking. "They have all the physical evidence they need, you know. Keeping quiet at this point isn't going to help."

"So I should talk just to make the shrinks happy?" he scoffed.

"No, I think you should talk because you want to," she replied.

That got his attention. "You think I want to talk?"

Tara thought for a moment, and then changed course slightly. "I'm a computer expert, Mr. Evans. I don't usually talk to suspects in this area, so I have no idea what you want. All I know is computers. Sometimes I'll be working on a project, and it will go just right. When that happens, I don't just tell people I got it. Sometimes I'll go into this long, winding description of how I solved the problem. My coworkers have to remind me to get to the point. See, for me it's not just about the end result. It's about the process I took to get there."

Joshua held her gaze. "And you think I want to talk about the long, winding process."

Tara's stomach was so tight she was surprised she hadn't thrown up. She swore to herself that when this was over she would go back to her own work and never, ever do this again. Still, she refused to back down. "You don't just want to talk about it. You _need_ to."

His eyes sharpened on her face for one awful moment, and then he laughed. "Okay, Miss Tara-the-Computer-Expert. Let me tell you about my sister."

His laugh had made Tara's stomach hurt even more, but she forced herself to relax. "Angela?"

His brow lifted. "You know about her, do you? Well, you don't know everything."

"So tell me."

He sighed, and a dreamy, child-like expression slowly filtered into his eyes. "Angela was exactly that; she was my angel. She was the most beautiful, perfect baby sister anyone could have asked for, and I loved her from the moment my parents brought her home from the hospital. She was so sweet and good, and she had such faith. She was taking classes at a school a lot like this one, you know. She was going to move here and share an apartment with me when she graduated."

Seeing his face darken, Tara softly prompted him. "What happened?"

His eyes flashed. "Matthew Parker, that's what happened."

"Your sister's husband?"

The rage that covered his face was immediate and terrifying, "She should never have married him! She met him her senior year, and they married as soon as she graduated. So instead of moving in with me, she settled in to play housewife for him. And then..." his voice trailed off.

"She died in childbirth," Tara said.

He looked up at her, angry. "If you already know everything, why are you asking me?"

"I'm sorry; I'll just listen," Tara answered. "I don't know everything, Mr. Evans. I want you to tell me."

"Call me Josh. Angela did."

It took everything she had to get the name out. "Josh, tell me what happened with Angela."

He stared down at the floor. "She died, that's all. My sister died. I found them both...my pretty angel, and that tiny, perfect baby." His voice broke just a little at that. "Our parents had died in a plane crash a few years back, and suddenly I was alone. And I was angry. I was just so desperately angry with everyone. I didn't start killing right away, you know. I just let all that hatred build for a long time, knowing that I would be able to make something wonderful out of it when the time was right."

He paused, but Tara had learned her lesson. She waited. Finally, he continued. "Linda Martin was the first. She was the most like Angela, you see. She looked like her, she was a senior, and she had a boyfriend. They were going to marry as soon as she graduated. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I guess I thought I was saving her. If I could stop her before it went too far, before she committed to him, then I was rescuing her from her own destruction. I was giving her something better." He glanced at Tara. "Do you want me to tell you about her? And the others?"

Tara didn't. She really didn't. She knew that she could stop now, and Agent Tomlinson would take over. She wanted to leave this room, leave this heartbreak and sickness far behind her, and never return. But she was afraid that if she left he would stop talking. And so she nodded. "Tell me about them all, Josh."

He began to talk. It lasted for over an hour. Tara sat as still as she could, listening...trying not to listen. When he finished, she asked him one final question. "Why did you begin to break the pattern? None of the later girls was as good a match as Linda had been. Jessica Bartell was a sophomore; Melanie Stewart didn't go to school here. Sue Davenport…" She had to stop for a second to regain her composure. "Sue is deaf. Why the variation, Josh?"

He glanced at her face, and in that fleeting look she saw that the angry little boy was gone. In his place was a master of the game, one who had found his calling and embraced it. He smiled at her now, and it was not a nice smile. "It didn't matter so much as it went on. Linda was a way of expressing my frustration. After her, the killings became even more personal."

"You began to enjoy it," Tara said.

He nodded. "Very much. There's nothing like that last moment, when they're trying so hard to live. In the end, I killed them because I loved hearing them scream."

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Damascus Library

Grace Covenant University

Reston, VA

September 6

When Tara stepped out into the hall she saw Myles waiting for her, concern evident on his features. She didn't have the strength to take another step and just stood there, weeping. Myles watched her for a few awkward moments and then pulled her into his arms. She laid her head on his chest and sobbed.

Myles stroked his hand over her hair. "Shh...you did fine. You were brilliant."

"Oh Myles," Tara's voice was muffled against his shirt. "Think of all those women, so young and full of hope. Oh, God... _Sue_."

"Shh," Myles hushed her again. He continued to hold her as she cried. Finally he handed her his handkerchief. "I'll take you home."

She shook her head. "No. I want to go to the hospital."

"I already spoke to Jack. Sue's in surgery and won't be out for several hours. You can go in the morning; right now you need to sleep."

She was embarrassed to say it, especially to him, but fear won out. "Myles...I don't want to be alone right now."

He pressed a gentle kiss to her hair. "You won't be alone; I'm not leaving you."

 _Ever_.


	15. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Reston Hospital Center

Reston, VA

September 7

Jack sat in the surgery waiting room and wondered exactly when it was that he had gotten used to being in hospitals. He supposed he had seen his share of them during the course of his work. Sometimes he had played the role of concerned friend; other times he had been the patient. He had waited in rooms very much like this one as loved ones died. He desperately hoped today would not be like that. Sue had lost so much blood and so much time.

Lucy sat next to him. He had called her once Sue had gone into surgery. He had told her about the case, knowing the story would soon be on every news station, if it wasn't already. He had also called Sue's mother, who had left her husband's side to come be with her daughter. Myles and Tara were going to pick her up from the airport.

Jack stared at the floor, but the images in front of his eyes were of Sue: the lift of her eyebrows when she was amused at him, the soft curve of her mouth after he kissed it. He remembered the smile on her face as they held hands in church on Sunday...was it really only two days ago? He thought about the determination in her eyes as they discussed the trap they would set. He pictured her as he had seen her last night when he left her at Martha House, her face pale and her eyes wide with vulnerability. His heart broke as he remembered the last time he had looked into those eyes, before she closed them as she fell into his arms. "I'm sorry," she had said.

 _Sorry for what, Sweetheart? Sorry for getting hurt? Sorry for being afraid? Sorry for not being able to love me the way I love you? It doesn't matter. None of it does. I won't mind if you can't bring yourself to care about me. I'll watch you walk away with a glad heart if you'll just survive this, if you'll just wake up and let me see those beautiful eyes again._

"Agent Hudson?" The voice interrupted his thoughts. A member of the surgery team stood at the door to the waiting room. Jack tried to read some sort of clue in the doctor's face. "Is she..."

"The surgery's over. She was bleeding internally; we had to do a lot of repair work."

"Will she be okay?" Lucy asked.

The doctor sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you; it's still very serious. Her vitals dropped during the surgery, and I was almost sure we would lose her. We've done everything we can; the rest is up to her. I can give you more details about her condition later, but for now I'm sure you'd like to see her. She's not awake, but it might be good for you to visit anyway. I'll have someone show you to her room."

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She looked like a broken doll, an abandoned child's toy that had once been well loved. She seemed so tiny against the backdrop of white sheets and sterile equipment. Jack envied Lucy's ease with the situation; she immediately moved to Sue's side and stroked her hair. Jack was afraid to touch her, sure that he would hurt her somehow. Lucy gave Jack's arm a sympathetic pat and stepped outside, leaving him alone with the silent form.

He stood there for a long moment, unsure of what to do. He wanted to tell her so much. He thought of their time in the park last night, and in that memory he found an idea. He took one of her beautifully expressive hands and placed it against his lips. "I have some things I need to say to you. I know you can't hear me with your ears; I want you to listen with your soul. _I love you..._ "

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Williams Residence

Washington, D.C.

September 7

It was late by the time that Myles and Tara pulled up to her place. They had picked up Mrs. Thomas at the airport and had spent the rest of the day at the hospital. Sue hadn't woken up at all, and finally Myles had suggested tiredly that they go home. Lucy had gone to pick up Levi; he had been staying with Gina at the university. Jack and Mrs. Thomas had opted to stay at the hospital.

Myles parked the car and came around to open the door for Tara. She knew he was worried about her. He had hovered all day, forcing her to eat. He had also apparently seen it as his mission in life to keep her involved in conversation. Good heavens, the man could _talk_. She wasn't ready to think about the way his concern made her feel, and so she concentrated on staying upright as she tried to open her front door. She was so tired...

Myles took the key from her and unlocked the door. As he escorted her inside, his phone rang. "Excuse me a moment," he said as he answered it. When he hung up, he was smiling. "That was Jack. Sue's awake."

"She is? Oh, thank God!" Tara felt a rush of relief. "How is she?"

"They'll have to run extensive tests, of course, but she seems to be doing very well. The doctors are quite pleased."

"Oh, Myles!" Tara was so caught up in the moment that she hugged him. He didn't immediately respond, and she began to pull away, embarrassed. Before she could, his arms came around her and enveloped her in a strong embrace. She felt a ridiculous urge to stay there all night. Fighting the thought, she forced herself to look up at him. "I'm glad Sue is going to be okay."

"Yes," Myles said, his piercing blue eyes studying her face. "What about you? How are you doing?"

"I'm fine." Seeing his skepticism, she continued, "Myles, I'll be okay. It's just going to take some time."

After a pause he nodded, satisfied for the moment. "Let me know if I can help."

"You already have," Tara whispered, her heart clenching at the light she saw in his eyes. She couldn't believe the way she was feeling; this was _Myles_.

Apparently he was thinking something along the same line, if the look of wonder on his face was any indication. He took a deep breath. "Tara..."

She could see the moment he made the decision, saw the look of determination flit across his aristocratic face. Leaning down, he placed a tender kiss on her lips. He kissed like a gentleman, because Myles Leland III didn't know how to be anything else. Some restraint in her heart relaxed at the way he held her; nobody had ever made her feel this cherished. She had no idea where this was going, but for the moment she was content to just let it happen. When the kiss ended she placed her head on his chest and stood that way for a long time, listening to his heartbeat.


	16. Chapter 14

Hello everyone! I apologize for the delay. I've been preparing for something big (work-related) and haven't had much free time. I'll try to post again on Monday or Tuesday. Thanks for reading!

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Chapter 14

Dotson/Thomas Apartment

Washington, D.C.

September 13

Lucy let Jack in and gave him a comforting smile. "She's in her room; her mom went shopping. I'm going out for a while." She paused, then continued hesitantly, "Jack, she's...it was pretty overwhelming, what with being attacked and...everything. She might need some time." Patting him gently on the arm, she left him to the silence of the apartment. Taking a deep breath, he walked to Sue's room.

Sue was resting on her bed, Levi curled up against her. She looked at Jack as he came in, caution and weariness in her eyes.

"Hi. I was wondering if we could talk."

She sat up quickly and wrapped her arms around herself protectively. "Sure. Have a seat." She waved an arm towards the end of the bed and gave him an uncertain smile.

Her defensive posture tore at Jack's heart. He cleared his throat. "If you would be more comfortable in the living room..."

Something flickered in her eyes…irritation? Sorrow? She shook her head. "This is fine."

Jack sat on the very edge of the bed, taking care to leave room. "The case against Joshua Evans is rock solid. With the physical evidence and the confession he gave Tara, he has absolutely no room to maneuver."

"I'm glad," she said.

"I also thought you might want to know that Grace Covenant fired Dalton Mitchell."

"Good. He deserved much worse." She was talking to him, making all the right responses, but the wall between them seemed insurmountable. He had no idea what to do. Sue said, "I read Evans' statement. The Bibles he used were similar to the one he had given to his sister when she was confirmed. He had one with him that night. It was supposed to be mine."

Jack closed his eyes, fighting back the panic those words invoked. "It was _never_ yours."

"Wasn't it?"

" _No_. You refused to play by his rules. You survived." He was desperate to make her see that.

"It doesn't feel much like survival right now." Her fingers drifted over a bandage on her arm.

He forced himself to speak slowly; she needed to know this. "I was there; I held you in my arms and watched your blood spill out on my body. I rode with you in that ambulance, sure that we couldn't possibly get there in time. I spent hours in a waiting room and then more hours by your bedside, praying harder than I've ever prayed for anything in my entire life. Then you woke up, and my heart started beating again. You're alive, Sue. Don't try to tell me you aren't. I know better."

The look she gave him was heartrendingly lost. "Jack…"

He took a deep breath, trying to regain control. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. "I'm so sorry for what happened that night. I'm sorry if it was more than you were ready for. I'm sorry that I didn't get to you faster once we knew you were in trouble. I would give away everything I own if I could just change the events of that one night, if I could have kept you from being hurt." He wanted to take her hand, but he didn't dare. "I learned something about myself during this assignment: I'm in love with you, the forever kind of love. The kind of love worth fighting for." He looked into her beautiful eyes. "Fight for it with me, Sue. _Please_ ," his voice broke, "please don't give up on us. Take the chance."

Her hand reached out to touch his. "Jack, we were both doing our jobs. As for everything else…it was just too much. I was so afraid, had been afraid for _days_ , and everyone was watching, and then he was there. It was...it was out of control."

"It doesn't have to be. We can take as much time as we want, go slow-" but she was shaking her head.

"Jack...I'm going away for a while." As his anguished eyes pierced hers, she continued. "My mom wants me to come back home to recuperate and keep my dad company."

The silence stretched out as he fought to control his fear. "Will you come back?"

"I don't know."

Frustrated, he ran a hand through his hair. He didn't mean to get angry, but it was so _unfair_. He had just gotten her back and was going to lose her all over again...if she had ever been his to lose. "Won't you even _try_ to fight for us?

Finally her composure broke, as fire flashed in her eyes. "I was _scared_!"

He took her hand in his. "I understand, but he's gone now. He'll never hurt you again."

"It wasn't just him." He could tell she hadn't meant to say that; guilt and contrition flooded her face. "I'm sorry. I...never mind."

"No." He locked the hurt away, kept his voice even and cool. "Finish what you were saying."

She raised tormented eyes to his. "I was scared of _us_ , of what had happened between us. I'd never...Jack, I've never felt for anyone the way I feel for you, and it terrifies me."

The lingering vestiges of anger faded away, to be replaced by tenderness. "I can understand that. You scare the hell out of me."

Her lips quirked in an involuntary smile, but then her face grew serious once again. "Jack...let me go."

He tried to be strong. "For now? Or forever?"

"I don't know." When he tried to pull his hand from hers she held fast. "I'm sorry; I wish I could tell you, wish it more than you can know. I just...need time. I want to be with my father, and I need to think." Her voice was firm, resolved.

There wasn't anything else he could do. Leaning over, he kissed her hair, needing to touch her one last time. He cupped her face with his hands, wanting to make sure that she could see everything he was about to say. He took some comfort in the fact that she didn't pull away from his touch. "I love you. Have a safe trip to your parents' house." _Please come back to me._

He started to leave, but she spoke again. "Jack?"

Hope rushed through him as he turned back to face her. "Yes?"

She stretched out her hand, a look of apology on her face. Lying in her palm was her engagement ring. "I'm sure this needs to go back to someone at the FBI. Could you please return it for me?"

The disappointment was staggering. He remembered standing outside the jewelry store, looking in the window. He had seen the ring and had known she would love it, and so he had bought it for her, choosing it instead of a plain, impersonal ring from the government's vaults. He'd hoped she would wear it forever.

He took the ring from her hand. "I'll take care of it." He left the apartment, wondering what he was going to do if he never saw her again.

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Author's note: Please don't be too hard on Sue; she's struggling a bit right now. More on that later. Until next time!


	17. Chapter 15

Hello everyone! I'm so sorry that this update is (very) late. I was away for a week with work and couldn't update as promised. On with the show...

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Chapter 15

Washington, D.C.

September 21

Myles studied the dark-haired man sitting on a bench outside the Hoover Building. It had been this way for a week, since Sue left. Every day at lunch Jack would refuse all offers of companionship. He would come outside, locate the most convenient place to sit, and methodically eat his meal while staring off at the horizon. Bobby had tried talking to him, with no success. Even Lucy had made an attempt; whatever had happened during that effort had left her in tears. Now here Myles was, because Tara had asked. He shook his head in pained amusement at himself. _Good Lord, what that woman is doing to me..._

Jack didn't look up as Myles sat next to him. "Myles, if I wouldn't talk to Bobby, I'm sure not going to talk to you."

It stung, but he shrugged it off. "That's fine by me. I'll just sit here and eat my lunch to keep Tara appeased."

Something hard flickered across Jack's face. "I wondered about that. You two have been acting strange all week. You're making a mistake there. It will screw up your professional life, and then she'll leave you anyway. She's just like all women–"

" _Don't_ finish that sentence," Myles warned him, his cheeks flushed.

Jack lapsed into silence. Finally he spoke, his voice apologetic. "I'm sorry. It's none of my business."

Myles was still angry and defensive. There were parts of Jack's statement that had hit too close to home. "It's understandable that you're upset, but leave Tara out of it." He wondered again how he gotten into this situation. He hated dealing with other people's emotions; sometimes he barely knew how to handle his own. He was sitting on this uncomfortable bench eating a sandwich - a _sandwich_ \- trying to do a job that was completely outside of his comfort zone and area of expertise. He poked with disgust at the wilted lettuce on his turkey and rye. Tonight he was going to insist on escorting Tara to a very expensive restaurant to help erase the memory of this miserable lunch. He would even make her pay for dinner as punishment for getting him involved with this mess. He shook his head, knowing he would do no such thing. He had never allowed a woman to pay for a date in his life, and he wasn't about to start now. The whole thing was a mute issue anyway; he couldn't date her. It was almost tragically funny. They had discovered something that might be worth having but couldn't pursue it. He laughed hopelessly at himself. _Isn't that just my luck?_

Jack glared at him. "I'm so glad you're getting amusement from this."

Myles realized to his chagrin that he had actually laughed aloud. "Sorry. I was just thinking about something."

"I'll bet." The look on Jack's face was unyielding.

 _Oh, for the love of God._ "If you must know," Myles said icily, "I was just accepting the truth of your earlier statement. Tara and I can't have any kind of personal relationship because we work together. It's an issue you might want to think about, as well." He cursed himself as soon as he heard the words come out of his mouth. He hadn't meant to say that.

The look on Jack's face was one of utter desolation. "Myles, that's absolutely the least of my problems right now."

It was the despair in Jack's eyes that prompted Myles to speak again. It wasn't because the team needed to make peace with the situation, or even because Tara had asked it of him. He wanted to do something, anything, to remove the hurt from the other man's eyes.

"She needs time, Jack," he said gently. "All else aside, her injuries alone were devastating."

For a long moment, Jack didn't say anything. When he spoke, his voice was low and rough. "That night...you saw us."

Myles nodded. The couple had been under surveillance the whole evening. "Rest assured,you can rely upon my complete discretion. Neither Tara nor I would ever discuss this with anyone else, and Tomlinson's team didn't know you well enough to understand the dynamics in play." Myles had been frustrated when the VC agents had suggested the plan. They couldn't have known what they were asking, but he had been worried about the high price that would have to be paid. He had been reluctant to interfere, thinking that it wasn't his place. He had also understood the need to catch the killer, and had hoped that discipline and professionalism would provide some layer of protection. Now he found himself struggling with guilt for standing passively by while so much was risked. "Jack, I'm sorry about what happened. I should have said something to stop it. We could have looked at other options."

Jack shook his head. "No. I made the decision to go ahead."

"So did Sue," Myles said pointedly. "The responsibility was not all yours."

"What if I pushed too far?" Jack asked grimly. "Sue doesn't talk about it much, but I think she was pretty sheltered growing up. What if I terrified her?"

"She could never be afraid of you." Myles didn't want to discuss this, but it had to be said. "Those surveillance cameras...they don't miss much. She wasn't exactly protesting." He held up a hand as temper flared on Jack's face. "Did you know that she never looks at anyone else the way she looks at you? She gave in to her emotions that night, to the way that she feels about you. She lost control, and _that's_ what frightened her."

Jack's face was troubled as he thought. Finally he spoke. "The thing is...I enjoyed it. Not the fact that it upset her, of course, or that everyone was watching, but holding her in my arms, being with her..." Raising tortured eyes to meet Myles' gaze, he said quietly, "I can't imagine never having that chance again."

Myles knew that might be a possibility; it would be cruel to suggest otherwise. He reached out to place a hand on Jack's shoulder. "No matter what happens, I'll be here for you." He was surprised to find that he meant it. "You know that the team will support you both. You will get through it somehow; you'll do what you have to do."

Jack's eyes searched his face, seeking...assurance? Absolution? Finally the tension slid away, leaving in its stead the kind of peace that comes after nothing else is left. "Thank you."

Myles tilted his head in acknowledgement. "You're welcome."

"I really do apologize for what I said about Tara." Jack looked at him curiously. "What are you going to do about that situation?"

Myles looked away. "I don't know." He stood abruptly. "In any case, it won't be solved today. Let's go back inside; you left quite a few people waiting who are very worried about you."


End file.
